Root-crop harvester.



J. M. BOURLAND.

ROOT CROP HARVESTER.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1908. I 914,232, Patented Manz, 1909.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

Wi h1 @man J. M. BOURLAND. RooT CROP HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23, 1908.

914,232. `Patented M3112, i909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

JOSEPH M. BOURLAND, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

ROOT-OROP HARVESTER.

No. 914,2ea

.Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented March 2, 190e.

Application led July 23, 1908. Serial No. 444,987.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOSEPH M. BoUnLAND, a citizen oic the UnitedStates of America, residing at Beaumont, in the county of Jefferson and State oi Texas', have invented new and useful Improvements in Root-Crop Harvesters, oijwhich the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to root-crop har vesters designed more particularly i'or digging peanuts and potatoes, but capable of manj,T other uses, such as digging sugar beets, turnips, onions, small nursery stock and all other root-crops.

One of the principal objects of the invention isv to provide an implementof light weight, thoroughly-braced to give it great strength, of simple construction and which will not be provided with a central standard or other obstruction to catch the vines and weeds and impede the progress of the plow.

Still another object of the invention is to. .provide a device of the character described which wi1l not turn a furrow slice and which will not pitch-the dirt t'o the right or to the left nor turn it over, but which will lift gently a slice of soil, raise it upward on an inclined plane and sift out the crop from the soil.

' Another object' oi the invention is to provide a simple implement for uprooting cotton and corn stubble and to destroy the winter .A is a longitudinal section quarters of insect pests.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an implement made in accordance with' my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section ot the same on an enlarged scale. Figf is a plan view of the combined plow poiiitiand land shoe. Fig'. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the implement. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a modified form of supporting frame. Fig. 6 of the saine. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7--7 of Fig, 5, looking downward', showing the combined plow point and land shoe'i nf-pla.ce.v Fig. 8 is a perspective view ci? the ,casting which secures the digger frame to't'he beam of the plow. Fig. 9 is al sectional view of a modified form of point and shoe. Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line 410--10 of 4,100king in lthe direction indicated by the arrows therein.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the two supporting bars, as shown in the modiiied form, ig. 5. Fig. 12 is ajperspective view.' of? the 'secured member of the supporting bars, as

upper shown in said Fig. 5. Fig. 13 is a perspec tive viewe the combined plow point and land shoe, as shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawing for a more specl'ic description oi my invention, the numeral 1 designates vthe beam and 2 the handle, these parts being of the usual or any suitable construction. beam is a substantially circular supporting frame 3, which, as shown in Figs. 1,' 2'and 4,

Secured under the is formed of a single piece of plow-share steel, the upper ends of whichare secured to a *casting comprising upright lu s4 which are spaced apart in. width su ciently to permit the beam to rest between them upon the base portion 5 of the casting. 4 are provided with registering apertures 6 to accommodate a lbolt 7 which passes through the lugs and through the beam 1. rThe upper ends of the circular trame 3 are by means oi bolts passing through apertures 7EL in the outwardly extending portions of the casting, said outwardly projecting portions having downwardly extending oppositely disposed flanges 8, all as shown more particularly in Fig. 8 of the drawing. Forwardly extending braces 9 are secured at their outer ends to the beam and at their other ends to the supporting frame 3 at a point nearly midway between the beam and the ground. lt is to be noted that the base portion 5 or' the beam casting has its upper tace slightly beveled oil toward its opposite ends, as shown at 10 in Figs. 2 and 6. he result of this construction is that' when the nut 11 of the bolt 12 is loosened and the nut 13 on tightened, that the plow point is slightly raised to adjust the point to take the required depth into the soil. When the nut 11 is tightened up so that the base portion 5 fits closely against the underside of the beam, and the nut 13 is turned partially off the bolt 14 the plow point will take a deeper bite.

The lugsy the bolt 14 is:

the upper face of y The vlower portion of the ring-like sup-j l porting frame 3 is slightly curved upwardly, 4 v

cuts its way through the soil at the proper depth and permits it to pass throughthe frame and on to the spiral fingers, where the crop is sifted out and deposited on top of the soil. These fingers may be bent down- -wardly at their forward ends, as at 17,

forming a shoulder 18 which bears against the rear edge of the frame 3, and when each nger is secured in place by means of a single bolt 19 the shoulder 18 serves to prevent l lateral movement of the fingers. These fingers may be quickly made from fiat sheet metal blanks properly twisted to form spirally disposed blades and which will serve to thoroughly agitate soft soil as it passes over the same and sift or screen the crops from the soil. These fingers may be `varied as to width and length for various from, said land shoe at lthe heel end thereof having ns or lateral projections 22. The point and land shoe are secured underneath the curved portion l5 of the supporting frame 3 by suitable bolts or rivets 23.

The ring-like supporting frame 3 maybe made of several arts or sections, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 1l and 12, the upper section 3a being secured to the lower sections 3b byrabbeting the ends of said sections and passing bolts 24 through the rabbeted ends. The upper sections 3a are each provided with a central longitudinal rib 3C, said rib having a boss 3d having an aperture Se therein for the bolt which secures the brace 9 to the frame.

Instead of the point and land shoe being made of a single piece they may be made as shown in Figs. 5, 6 7, 9 and 13 with an upwardly extending shank 25 and a lug 26 extending backwardly, las shown in Fig. 1,3. The body ortion of the land shoe may be similar to t at already described, and at the front end of the heel portion a plate 28 is provided which fits over the lug 26 and underneath the shank 25. The plate 2S is secured by bolts 30 to the inclined portion of the frame sections 3b.

From the fore oing itwill be obvious that my invention W ile of sim le construction and of li ht weight and drei-Pt is durable and eliicient or its urpose.

Having thus escribed the invention, what is claimed as new,'is:-

-1. In an implement of the` character de-l scribed, a ringike supporting frame, av plow n an im lement of the character de-` low point connected to point and land shoe secured thereto; a casting for securing said frame to the beam, said casting having an oppositely beveled. face,

bolts extending through the'beam. and

through the oppositely beveled portions -of the casting, .w may be adjusted for a greater or a less depth of cut,

4. In an implement of the character described, the combination of a beam, a circular supporting frame secured underneath said beam, said supporting frame having an ereby the point of the plow upwardly curved lower portion, a plow point l secured to said curvedportion, and a land shoe secured to said curved portion, said land shoe having oppositelydisposed wings.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. BOURLAND. /Vitnesses:

A B. F. Cox,

C. C. HARaLsoN.. 

